Conveyer mechanism



Sept. 11, 1934. A. w. LEMMON convayan maciumzsu Filed Jan. 8. 1932 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 lrvvElv'roR Alexis W Lemmon Y aw ATT'Y5.

Sept. 11, 1934. l LEMM Q r 1,973,005

CONVEYER IECHANISI Filed Jan. 8, 1932 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN VENTOR Ff? I Alexis W Lemmon Sept. 11, 1934. A. w. LEMMON CONVEYER MECHANISM Filed Jams. 1952 s Sheets-Sheet a INVENTOR V I Alex/s W Lemmon.

V 7 BY I 5 A'TT'Ys.

elented Sept. 11, 1934 CONVEYER MECHANISM Alexis W. Lemmon, Columbus, Ohio, alsignor to The Jeffrey Manufacturing Company, a corporation of Ohio Application January 8, 1932, Serial No. 585,800

' 12 Claims.

The present invention relates to improvements in conveyer systems and has particular reference to foundry installations wherein moving molds are to be filled with molten metal.

Heretoiore it has been the common practice to provide an endless buggy conveyer upon which the molds to be filled are placed, the filling being accomplished during the travel of the molds by workmen walking alongside the buggy conveyer W with each mold to be filled, the metal being poured from a ladle suspended from a trolley which is movable on an overhead trackway following the line of the buggy conveyer for a requisite distance. The present invention contemplates a platform moving under the overhead trackway and alongside the buggy conveyer at the peripheral speed of the latter, this platform being for the transportation of the workmen performing the pouring operation. The present invention relates particularly to an operating or propulsion system for the buggy conveyer and workers platform, a

typical installation being shown by way of example in the accompanying drawings wherein:

Figure 1 is a view in plan of an apparatus em- 25 bodying the invention.

Figure 2 is a view in side elevation of part of the apparatus shown in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a view substantially on the line 3-3 of Figure 1, looking in the direction of the arrows. 39 Figure 4 is a view in side elevation of a detail.

Figure 5 is a view substantially on the line 5-5 of Figure 4, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 6 is an elevation of certain chain guidr ing and tensioning means, shown in plan in Figure 1.

Figure 7 is an elevation of the prime mover for the line of buggies.

Figure 8 is a plan view of the pouring end of the installation including the overhead trackway,

Figure 9is an elevation of the pouring end of the installation.

Referring to the drawings, reference numerals 10 and 11 designate rails forming an endless trackway, Figure 1, the trackway as here shown being substantially oblong with semi-circular ends. The trackway is supported in any suitable manner as upon horizontal members 12, Fig. 3, secured across uprights 13 and 14. The buggies generally indicated at 15 are provided .with flanged wheels adapted to support the buggies on the rails 10 and 11.

The buggies are connected in an endless line or train by means of coupling members 16 provided with forked ends at 1'7 and 18, Figure 2, which pivotally engage suitable coupling elements on the buggies, so as to-provide a continuous chain of mold carrying buggies. The head portions 1'7 of the coupling links are provided with a lower abutment seat 19, Figures 2 and 4.

An endless chain 20 is disposed in a path beneath a rectilinear portion of the trackway and is supported at its ends on head and foot sprockets 21 and 22, so that the runs of the chain lie in a vertical plane, the upper run being guided into substantially tangential relation to the line of the coupling links by means of an upwardly bowed guide trough 23. Circulatory movement is imparted to the chain 20 by means. of a motor and gearing to be hereinafter described.

At distances along chain 20 equal to the distance between abutment portions 19 of the coupling links pairs of outwardly expanded cheek plates 25 and 26, Figure 5, are connected in the chain 20 by ineans of pintles, as at 27, which project laterally of the "chain and carry outer rollers 28 and 29 and a roller 30 between the cheek plates. Between the outwardly expanded portions of the cheek plates is mounted an abutment roller 31 on a pin 32 parallel to the pintles, the disposition of the rollers being such that those on the upper run of chain 20 will abut the abutment portions 19-of the coupling links so as to propel the links and therewith the buggies. Rollers 28 to 30 travel along the bottom plate of trough member 23 and are restrained against upward displacement by means of the horizontal webs of angle bars 23a and 23b. As shown in Figure 2, two abutment rollers 31 are in propelling engagement with two of the coupling links and it will be evident that as the line of buggies moves to the left, these rollers will eventually disengage themselves from the seats 19 of the links and successive links will be engaged by successive rollers, so that the line of buggies will be continuously propelled at the speed of chain 20.

concentrically disposed relative to one of the semi-circular ends of the trackway is an annular platform 33, witha portion thereof lying exterior to and below the end of the trackway. It will be noted from Figure 3, that the trackway end is supported inside of the annular platform on the uprights 13 and 14. Mounted beneath the platform on radially extending axes are a. hum-- ber of flanged wheels, as at 34; which rest on a circular trackway 35 supported on uprights as at 36, the track sections having vertical webs which-are bolted to .the uprights. These flanged wheels in cooperation with the trackway sup 110 port the turntable for circulation about its central .axis and also against radial displacement. Upward displacement of the wheels is prevented by a circular angle member 3'7 secured to uprights 36 with a horizontal flange extending immediately above the wheels. The inner marginal portion 'of the 'turntable supported on the,

1 horizontal web 38 of a circular angle bar which has a vertical web 39 in guiding relation with a marginal edge. Exteriorly of wheels 34 and.

free of uprights 36 a circular builtup' Z-bar 40 is secured beneath platform 33 and withthe lower outer margin of the platform constitutes a channel for the reception "of an'endless draft" chain 41, the central web of the Z-bar constituting a flange frictionally engaged by the 50, a coupling 51 and a sprocket chain 52 is in driving connection with a shaft 53. Through suitable bevel gearing 54, shaft 53 drives a wheel 54' mounted on a vertical axis ina plane slightly below the plane of turntable 33, wheel 54' engaging chain 41 to rotate the turntable, the

chain being guided to and .from the turntable on guide plates 55 and 56. An idler 57, Figures 1 and 6, is rotatable on a pin 58, which is disposable in a selected aperture 59 of a frame 60 to engage chain 41 and properly tension it. Sprocket 21 is fixed on the end of shaft 49 to be driven thereby.

The drive ratios are so. chosen that with the line of buggies moving through its elongated orbit under the drive of motor 42, the movement of the turntable 33 is synchronized therewith. The portion of the turntable exterior to the semicircular orbit end thus circulates at the speed of the buggies, as will be understood. An overhead track 65 has an arcuate portion overlying a major part of the exposed portion of platform 33, Figures 8 and 9. A trolley 66 on the track has suspended therefrom through the intermediary of a chain hoist a ladle 67 forthe molten metal.

Workmen standing adjacent the turntable 33 which, as will be seen from Figure 3, is so mounted'as to be at the level of the floor, will step upon the moving table at the point where the buggy conveyer, traveling in the direction shown by the arrow in Figure 1, crosses the turntable and will complete the work of pouring a mold as the platform carries them along at sub: stantially the same speed as the speed at which the buggy line is moving, the trolley moving along track 65 above the ladle. When the work of pouring the mold has been completed, the workmen will step from the platform 33, return to the starting point with the ladle and repeat the operation on a new mold. Since the workmen are carried along in their respective positions by the travelling platform 33, there is no occasion or likelihood of interference between them as each performs his task.

It will be seen that the apparatus provided renders the work of pouring the molds on a continuously movingmold conveyer simple and expeditious, as the necessity of hurriedly filling the mold as it passes a given point or walking along beside it as the work is going on is done away with, the workmen ordinarily remaining always in the same position relative to the mold until the pouring is completed.

It will be understood that many changes may be made from the particular construction here shown and that, accordingly, I do not limit myself except as in the following claims.

I claim:

1. Apparatus of the class described comprising an endless conveyer having an elongated horizontal orbit, a movable platform positioned with a portion thereof exterior of said orbit at one end of'the latter and in substanial conformation with said orbit end, a single drive motor for the conveyer and platform, and transmission means connecting the motor with the conveyer and platform to drive the same at substantially equal peripheral speeds.

' 2. Apparatus of the class described comprising an endless conveyer having an elongated horizontal orbit, a movable platform positioned with a portion thereof exterior of said orbit at one end of the latter and in substantial conformation with said orbit end, a single drive motor for the conveyer and platform, and transmission means connecting the motor with the conveyer and platform to drive the same at substantially equal peripheral speeds, said transmission means including an endless draft element and a circular flange fixed beneath and to the platform margin and engaged by said draft element.

3. Apparatus of the class described comprising an endless conveyer having an elongated horizontal orbit, a movable platform positioned with a portion thereof exterior of said orbit at one end 'of the latter and in substantial conformation with said orbit end,'a single drive motor for the conveyer and platform, and transmission means connecting the motor with the conveyer and platform to drive the same at substantially equal peripheral speeds, said transmission means comprising a horizontal shaft beneath and transverse to one side of said orbit for the drive of the conveyer, and drive means for the platform driven from said shaft.

4. Apparatus of the class described comprising an endless conveyer having an elongated horizontal orbit, a movable platform positioned with a portion thereof exterior of said orbit at one end of the latter and in substantial conformation with said orbit end, a single drive motor for the conveyer and platform, tion means connecting the motor with the conveyer of the latter and in substantial conformation with said orbit end, a single-drive motor for the conveyer and platform, transmission means connecting the motor with the conveyer and platform to drive the same at substantially equal peripheral speeds, said transmission means comprising a horizontal shaft beneath and transverse to one side of said orbit for thedrive of the conveyer,

and drive means for the platform driven from said shaft and including an endless draft element and a circular flange fixed beneath and to the platform margin and engaged by said draft element.

6. In apparatus of the class described, an endless horizontal trackway, a series .of interconnected buggies comprising an endless train adapted to travel on said trackway to be guided thereby, an endless draft device travelling in a vertical plane with its upper run in substantially tangential relation to the line of said train, projections on the draft device extending upwardly on the upper run thereof, and abutment means on the train engageable by said projections to propel the train.

'7. In apparatus of the class described, an endless horizontal trackway, a series of interconnected buggies comprising an endless train adapted to travel on said trackway to be guided thereby, an endless draft device travelling in a vertical plane with its upper run in substantially tangential relation to the line of said train, projections on the draft device extending upwardly on the upper run thereof, and abutment means on the train engageable by said projections to propel the. train, a plurality of said abutment means being engaged by a plurality of said projections at all times.

8. In apparatus of the class described, an end less horizontal trackway, a series of interconnected buggies comprising an endless train adapted to travel on said trackway to be guided thereby, an endless draft device travelling in a vertical plane with its upper run in substantially tangential relation to the line of said train, an,

tal web underlying a marginal portion of the platform and having a vertical web in proximity to the edge of said marginal portion, and means for rotating the platform.

10. In apparatus of the class described, an endless horizontal trackway, a series of buggies adapted to travel on said trackway to be guided thereby, horizontal coupling links connecting said buggies, an endless draft device having a portion guided longitudinally of the trackway beneath' the buggies in substantially tangential relation to the line of said links, and upwardly extending members in spaced relation on said draft device, said links having lower abutment portions engageable by said upwardly extending members whereby the links, and therewith the buggies, are propelled along the trackway.

11. In apparatus of the class described, an endless horizontal trackway, a series of buggies adapted to travel on said trackway to be guided thereby, horizontal coupling links connecting said buggies, an endless draft device travelling in a vertical plane with its upper run in substantially tangential relation to the line of said links, and outwardly projecting members in spaced relation on said draft device, said links having lower abutment portions engageable by the projecting members on the upper run of said draft device whereby the links, andtherewith the buggies are propelled along the trackway.

12. In apparatus of the class described, an endless horizontal trackway, a series of buggies adapted to travel on said trackway to be guided thereby, horizontal coupling links connecting said buggies, an endless draft device travelling in a vertical plane with its upper run in substantially tangential relation to the line of said links, an

upwardly bowed guide plate beneath said upper ALEXIS W. LEMMON. 

